Medical marijuana delivery
Sidecar adds medical marijuana to the list of goods it will promptly deliver to customers in San Francisco. The ride-sharing service teams with Meadow, which runs a website where people can order medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries. Orders are secured in lock boxes for trips, and drivers are card-holding medical marijuana patients who are also members of local collectives shipping the pot. Sidecar:
Our vision is that one day any business will be able to take an order and get it to the customer in an hour, and Sidecar will be the service that powers this capability. The delivery of medical marijuana, with its layers of complexity, is perfect to highlight the power of our delivery.
Drone delivery patent
According to a patent that the company submitted in September 2014, Amazon’s delivery drones will be able to update their routes in real time by tracking the location of the recipient by pulling data from their smartphone, as well as talking to each other about weather and traffic conditions. Winning patent approval does not mean that the final product will be exactly as described or that it will become reality.
Ends CA water bottling
Starbucks moves water bottling for Ethos Water outside of California.
We are committed to our mission to be a globally responsible company and to support the people of the state of California as they face this unprecedented drought.
Dragon abort test successful
The company tests the Dragon abort system at Cape Canaveral. The abort system is designed to save the crew in the event of a launchpad emergency. The capsule is powered by Draco engines for five seconds. After reaching apogee at 90 seconds, falls by parachute into the Altantic ocean
Banishing artificial ingredients
The chain says that by the end of the next year, dozens of ingredients on its “No No List” will be banished from its menu. Some of the ingredients have already been removed, while others are in process. Shaich:
I want to serve everyone the food I want my daughter to eat. And if I feel uncomfortable about serving her some of this stuff, I don’t want anyone else to eat it…The scientific community and consumers get that food that is less processed and closer to a more natural state, made from the kind of ingredients that you can understand, are better for you….Part of where we’re trying to go, we want them to be able to trust that the food they get at Panera is clean, and not even have to think about it…The reality, like everything, is “hey, it may not help you,” all the way to “this could cause cancer.” I can’t answer that. I’m not involved in the science. But I am clear that I can make better food with less processing. So why not?
Rainbow flag avatar
Clinton’s campaign changes its Facebook and Twitter avatars to a gay-friendly rainbow-flag version of the H-arrow logo. This change comes as arguments begin in the Supreme Court aimed at finally resolving two key remaining questions over gay marriage.
Aspartame free Diet Pepsi
Pepsi removes the artificial sweetener aspartame from Diet Pepsi due to concerns raised by consumers. It will now be sweetened with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Pepsi vice-president:
Diet cola drinkers in the U.S. told us they wanted aspartame-free Diet Pepsi and we’re delivering.
3000 apps released
App Store for Apple Watch releases 3,000 applications for travel, health, family, communication, fitness and work. It features Yelp, TripAdvisor, Fandango, Twitter and the NYTimes.
Project Fi
Google launches wireless carrier service named Project Fi.
Project Fi enables us to work in close partnership with leading carriers, hardware makers, and all of you to push the boundaries of what’s possible. By designing across hardware, software and connectivity, we can more fully explore new ways for people to connect and communicate. Two of the top mobile networks in the U.S.—Sprint and T-Mobile—are partnering with us to launch Project Fi and now you can be part of the project too.
Anti-abuse policy update
Twitter updates its abuse policy to make it tougher for trolls to flood it with threats and harassment.
We are making two policy changes, one related to prohibited content, and one about how we enforce certain policy violations. We are updating our violent threats policy so that the prohibition is not limited to direct, specific threats of violence against others but now extends to threats of violence against others or promot[ing] violence against others.
Friendlier News Feed
Facebook announce three changes to the content that is displayed in users news feed. The changes will increase the amount of content from close friends in users feed.
The first is improving the experience for people who don’t have a lot of content available to see. Previously, we had rules in place to prevent you from seeing multiple posts from the same source in a row. With this update, we are relaxing this rule…The second update tries to ensure that content posted directly by the friends you care about, such as photos, videos, status updates or links, will be higher up in News Feed so you are less likely to miss it. If you like to read news or interact with posts from pages you care about, you will still see that content in News Feed…Lastly, many people have told us they don’t enjoy seeing stories about their friends liking or commenting on a post. This update will make these stories appear lower down in News Feed or not at all, so you are more likely to see the stuff you care about directly from friends and the pages you have liked.
600kph world record
JR Central’s Magnetic levitation train sets world speed record on its test track near Mount Fuji. The seven-car train clocks over 600kph (373mph). The service is expected to connect Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya in 40 minutes, and by 2045, maglev trains are expected to link Tokyo and Osaka in just one hour and seven minutes, slashing the journey time in half.
All products recalled
Blue Bell issues a statement recalling all of its products due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. To date, there are eight documented cases of illness related to Blue Bell products. Blue Bell has now had several positive tests for Listeria in different places and plants.
Today’s decision was the result of findings from an enhanced sampling program initiated by Blue Bell which revealed that Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream half gallons produced on March 17, 2015, and March 27, 2015, contained the bacteria…We’re committed to doing the 100 percent right thing, and the best way to do that is to take all of our products off the market until we can be confident that they are all safe.
Launches marijuana brand
Nelson launches his own brand of marijuana, Willie’s Reserve. The brand will be sold in Washington state and Colorado where recreational marijuana is legal. The brand’s purpose is to support nationwide legalization of marijuana and to offer “clean and consistent products”. Nelson’s rep:
Somewhat controversially, Willie has spent a lifetime as an outspoken supporter of cannabis for personal use and for industrial hemp production.
iOS app update
Wikipedia’s mobile app is improved with a a cleaner design that has a short descriptor of the topic at the top of the screen. Many articles are now also preceded by a large image, giving the app more visual interest. The apps search functionality is improved. Each article now has a section at the bottom that connects readers to other information on the topic at hand. An enhanced image viewer allows swiping through images. A “Share a Fact” feature allows users to share images overlaid with text from an article to social media.
Airline promotion
The project will be promoted in a 90-second video for travelers on major U.S. airlines in July and August.
A shortened version of the Menorah Islands Project’s captivating video, found on www.themenorahislands.com, will be aired on 4,000 flights. This airing is expected to be seen by over 160,000 first and business class passengers.
Will walk the Orlando Eye
Wallenda announces he will walk along the 400ft tall Orlando Eye, the largest observation wheel in the U.S. on April 29, as part of the attraction’s grand opening ceremony. Instead of crossing a wire, he will walk from one capsule to another along part of the rim of the wheel. He will not use a balancing pole and there will be no wire to catch him if he falls.
If I have any missteps, I can’t stop. [I want to] to show a little bit of diversity in the family.
Dark Tower TV/movie deal
Sony Pictures and MRC will co-finance movies and TV shows based on King’s The Dark Tower. Sony will distribute the first in a series of movies, while a complementary TV series is being developed by MRC. The new script is primarily based on the first book in the series, The Gunslinger, and the relationship between Roland and Jake. The script, by Goldman and Pinkner is a reconceived version of the script that had been previously developed at Universal and at Warner Bros. King:
I’m excited that The Dark Tower is finally going to appear on the screen. Those who have traveled with Roland and his friends in their search for the Dark Tower are going to have their long-held hopes fully realized. This is a brilliant and creative approach to my books.
Rothman:
There are few projects out there that compare with the scope, vision, complex characters and fully drawn world that Stephen King has created with The Dark Tower. I am a giant fan. And, as Stephen himself does, we love the direction that Akiva and Jeff have taken. This is a great opportunity for a director to put his or her stamp on a cool global franchise.
LA reality show announced
The singer is developing a docuseries based on his relocation from London to Los Angeles in summer 2015:
If Marge Simpson met Dolly Parton and went dancing with Ziggy Stardust, it wouldn’t come close to what you’ll see. Why now — why not? Why me — who else?
Bunim/Murray:
We are experts in producing celeb-reality docuseries, and we couldn’t be more excited with the opportunity to tell this story with the right broadcast partner.
Launches English-language radio
ISIS launches English-language radio news bulletins on its Iraq-based al-Bayan radio network. The network also broadcasts in Arabic and Russian. The nine-and-a-half minute broadcasts, which begin and end with traditional sounding Arabic music, is hosted by a man with an American accent. Content includes news about the group’s activities in Iraq, Syria and Libya and activities such as suicide bombings, mortar attacks, car bombings, destroying ‘idols’, and ‘martyrdom operations’.